Photo: Robert Short
(September 14, 2021) The writing of Liz LeClair sprang onto the nonprofit consciousness when she authored in a Point of View piece for the CBC on January 2, 2019 about her experience being sexually assaulted by a donor. Her first-person account was the catalyst many women—and men—working in the charity sector needed to talk about their own experience of sexual misconduct. Since that time, she has written extensively about equity issues in the sector—advocating for the publication of salaries in job postings, the need to deal with systemic racism in the sector, and the control donors exert over a charity.
“I have so much respect for Liz LeClair,” says Gail Picco, editor in chief of The Charity Report. “She has spoken out on issues that are tough to talk about and put the raising of important subjects ahead of her own personal gain. She’s brave, she’s curious and, as anyone who has read any of her work knows, she’s also one hell of a writer.”
LeClair will be investigating issues of racial and gender equity, changing dynamics in the sector, new faces on the scene and little-known charities doing unique work for The Charity Report.
A co-founder of Sargasso Philanthropic CIC, LeClair says she’s proud to call herself a fundraiser and a feminist. Born in Toronto, she has lived and worked on both coasts, working with a variety of nonprofits, in a variety of sectors. She brings more than 15 years of experience to her current work as a fundraiser in Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada).
A long-standing member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), Liz LeClair sits on the board of Certified Fundraising Executive International (CFRE), volunteers on numerous national boards and committees, and is the current Chair of the AFP Women’s Impact Initiative, an initiative started in response to the #MeToo Movement in the non-profit sector. She is also a founder of the National Day of Conversation, a one-day digital dialogue on the issue of sexualized violence in the charitable sector.
“Liz LeClair is committed to speaking up about the challenges facing women and marginalized individuals in all sectors,” says Picco, “and she’s joining a stellar team of contributing editors that includes Cheryl Roddick, Nicole Salmon and Laurence Miall. We are truly blessed with their talent.”
More about contributing editors
The Charity Report welcomes Laurence Miall as contributing editor September 2, 2021
The Charity Report welcomes Nicole Salmon as a contributing editor July 28, 2021
The Charity Report Welcomes Cheryl Roddick as Contributing Editor July 28, 2020